


Send Shivers Down My Spine

by artemis101



Category: Artemis Fowl - Eoin Colfer
Genre: Alternate Universe, Don't copy to another site, Murder Mystery, Technically major character death, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:00:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27844138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artemis101/pseuds/artemis101
Summary: New homes can always be tough to move into and you never know just what trouble you might run into in an old abandoned manor.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 13





	1. A Toast To New Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was based on the idea created by chicken-scribbles from Tumblr, so thank you for letting me write a story based on your idea and I hope you enjoy it.

Butler drove through the wrought iron gate that marked the last leg of the drive up to the now abandoned Fowl Manor. A low hum emanated from the heater as it worked to keep Butler and Juliet warm. Juliet sat in the passenger seat watching the highlights of the last wrestling season ignoring the beautiful countryside stretching out beyond what the eye could see. “Perhaps it might be more beneficial to look at the world around you instead of the match considering we're here so you can have a break from wrestling.”

Butler’s suggestion was met with a sigh as Juliet looked up with an unconvincing air of annoyance. “ No, we came out here because you decided you liked the history of a place you know nothing about, so much that you would rather no one knock it down to build some factory or whatever. I came out here to check it out and pick out a room.”

“You know I don’t plan on living here, just seeing what shape it’s in and repairing any damage.”

“Mhhm sure. I still get first picks of the room.”

They pulled to a stop at the end of the gravel road, walking the rest of the way to the house. The midday sun helped cut through the chill that settled on them as Butler unlocked the door. With a light push, it swung open like it had been used recently instead of the last time being decades ago. Sweeping ceilings were held high above their heads by thick columns. Butler felt breathless looking at it and he knew Juilet echoed the sentiment by the sharp breath she drew in. Juliet seemed to regain her composure first and proceed to race across the floor of the main entrance and start up the stairs. With a grin, she cast a look back at him and declared, “I’m going to find a room and explore. If I get lost and never find you again then this is goodbye.”

Before he could respond she was out of sight. Butler shook his head and proceeded to inspect the main entrance closer, after all, it wouldn’t be good to get hurt this far away from anything. His observations turned up an immaculate room that was in better condition than it had any right to be. Thankfully everything was stable and secure with no obvious foundational issues. An oddity he encountered though was how clean it was. There was no one being paid to keep the manor clean and yet he had only found a light layer of dust as if it had only just settled recently and had no time to build. With no explanation to be found Butler moved onto inspecting other parts of the manor. It would take too long to go over the entire thing but he could focus on the main areas. Every room he viewed had the same peculiarity, sound with only some minor dust.

Upon going upstairs he soon found his way to the wing that held bedrooms. One door was swung open with bags haphazardly tossed into the rooms. Juliet had obviously made her choice. He glanced in as he passed seeing the sheets she had tossed off of the items they covered. In this case, the giant room held what appeared to be a luxurious king sized bed, and a mahogany desk pushed up against a wall. It was rather bare aside from that but knowing his sister, it was unlikely to stay that way. A door also opened up to a connected bathroom.

Deciding to follow Juliet's lead on the matter Butler opened the doors as he passed looking to see which room he wanted. He came upon one that matched Juilets in size and was much the same except that it held a nightstand by the bed. He placed the bags he had brought up from the car by the bed and wet to inspect the bathroom. Inside was a clawfoot bathtub as well as a shower. A medicine cabinet sat above the sink, suggesting that there had been some modern renovations onto the ancient manor.

With a room picked out and a satisfactory viewing of the manor that proved it was unlikely to fall apart on them Butler decided to start dinner, glad that he had paid to have the power restored and had stocked the pantry the week before. Somber notes from a piano pulled him from his thoughts as he exited his room. The door at the farthest end from the hall was now cracked open and music poured from it. Butler walked towards it confused. He had not seen Juilet since they had seen the foyer and she hadn’t mentioned learning piano either. The crack was not enough to see through but as he put his hand on the door to push it open the music abruptly stopped. Pushing it fully open revealed a study with all items except for a piano covered in sheets. Not a single mote of dust was settled on the piano but nothing suggested that anyone was or had been in the room either. Butler called for his sister but got no response. Pulling out his phone he listened for the ringtone or her voice anywhere near him but no noise sounded until Juilet’s voice came through on his phone. “Dom, this place is huge! You should see my bedroom, it could fit like four beds at least.”

“Where are you now?”

I’m chilling in the dining hall. We could feed an army with how huge this place is. I mean honestly, who needed this much room?”

“So you're not anywhere near your room now?”

“No, haven’t been there since I left my stuff in the room. For as big as this place is, so far there’s not much to see.”

“Alright, wait in the dining room, I’ll come to you.”

With that Butler hung up and cast a final suspicious glance around the room. He left pulling the door firmly shut behind him. He did not entirely believe Juilet but he could interrogate her better face to face. 

As always when it was just the two of them dinner was a small, simple affair that was held in the kitchen. Juliet resolutely denied having been in the study and held firm to the fact that she couldn't even play the piano. Juliet scoffed, “We haven’t even been here one night and you’re already acting like we live in a horror movie.”

Butler knew that if he continued his line of questioning Juilet would refuse to let it go so he moved onto a different subject. “What did you find when looking through the manor?”

“We have a pool and a gym. This might be the best decision you ever made. I can set up my own ring and practice my moves.”

From there conversation mostly dissolved into Juliet discussing wrestling moves and the upcoming season. Butler tried to listen but couldn’t help but return to thinking about that room. Once dinner had wrapped up Butler decided to retire to his room with a warning to Juliet to be careful if she kept looking around. There was no music when Butler got to the study but he attempted to open the door and look. He was met with resistance when he tried to turn the handle, indicating the door was now locked. He hadn’t locked it when he left but perhaps it was designed to lock on it’s own. This flimsy excuse did nothing to chase away any of Butler’s concerns but he resolved to go through the ample keys that went to various odds and ends of the manor and see if he could find one for the door and others in case others might be designed to do the same.

Butler spent the rest of his night unpacking his clothes into a walk-in closet and settling in with a book. After Juliet checked in to tell him goodnight he finally turned in for bed.

Moonlight filtered in through the window as Butler followed the sound of piano to the study once more. He cast a look at Juliet's room but the door was firmly shut. Butler focused his attention on the door once more and when he tried the handle it turned. The study looked entirely different. There was not a sheet in sight. Papers and books sat upon the desk. And in the corner, pale moonlight shed light upon an even paler young boy. Slim hands played across the keys, bringing forth the same melody from earlier that day. Butler stood watching, feeling incapable of interrupting. Slowly, the boy stopped playing and the music filtered out of the air. Butler was unsure of how long the boy sat there unmoving before the silence was finally broken again. “I do not know why you are here but you should not be. I do not want you to be. Leave.”

With that Butler abruptly woke in his own bed, bright sunshine flooding the room declaring it as morning.


	2. Looking For The Lost In All The Wrong Places

Butler found himself in front of the library held in the tiny town that resided several miles away from the manor. Returning to the locked study that morning had turned up nothing new as it had remained just as locked as the night before. Rummaging through the keys had also yielded no results closer examination the door had no keyhole. 

Though there were no more dreams, a feeling of being watched had occurred to the point where even Juliet felt it. Though she only had two suggestions for the phenomenon. One being ghosts and the other being that they were in a horror movie and both soon to be murdered. As loathe as he was to admit it the events were getting to him, which brought him back to where he was, the town library.

Upon entering the library only one thing immediately stood out and it was a simple sign. ‘Computer down, sorry’

Butler’s hopes of a quick resolution of the manor’s history fled. With a sigh, he headed to the history section and started picking books that looked like they might apply and settled at a table. Books that applied to the histories of the town, of the families that had been around for decades of anything that might even mention the manor in any form but no books held so much as a picture.

Butler tried for two hours before deciding his time would be better spent making a trip to a bigger town with a library that had working computers. Butler pushed himself up from the table and began to gather his books when an older lady that he surmised must be the librarian as no one else was in the building walked over. “You don’t have to put those away, I’ll handle it.”

She cast Butler a smile as she began to pick up the remaining books. Butler took her in for a moment before nodding and handing her the books he held. She allowed him to place them on top of the ones she held before walking back to the shelves to place them properly. “Were you looking for something specific or are you just one of those history buffs I hear about?” She chuckled before continuing, “Not that I’ve ever actually seen one.”

Butler considered just waving off the obvious ploy at small talk before deciding there was no point in not asking. “Would you happen to know what books could tell me about the manor outside of town?”

Her smile was immediately replaced by a sharp appraising look as she reconsidered him. “And why exactly would a place like that be of any interest to you?”

As taken aback as he was by her question he foraged on, “ I just bought the place to save it from being destroyed, I was hoping to learn more about it since it’s now in my ownership.” 

Butler forced down the small stab of guilt since it wasn’t exactly a lie. She snorted before facing back to the bookshelf and finishing the replacement of Butler’s books. “ We all would’ve been better off if you had let it be destroyed but I suppose you couldn’t have known that.”

With a sigh, she waved at Butler to retake his seat as she sat at the table. “You won’t find the Fowl manor mentioned in any book or on any website. I don’t know how it even came upon being brought up, everyone from this place has actively wiped it from our memories. And a warning to you, I wouldn’t go around advertising that you have anything to do with that place, no one will want anything to do with you again.”

Butler did not know what to do with the information but filed it away for later. “Why does everyone hate the manor so much?”

“Mind you, I can only tell you what I was told. Everyone who was alive when it originally happened is long since dead now, but the event left enough of a black mark to keep everyone quiet-” She took a breath to gather herself then launched into the story- “ The Fowl manor itself is ancient, been around for centuries, survived pirates, prohibition, anything you can think of until the last family. It was descended from Fowl heir to Fowl heir down the line. Artemis met a nice woman named Angeline and settled down. They had a son and named him Artemis after his father. Far as anyone was concerned they were the family was just like any other one but one night Artemis Sr. just lost it Slaughtered the lot of them. He strangled Angeline and slit poor Artemis‘s throat. Killed himself afterward. The police dealt with the clean up and I do mean clean up. Pretty much erased it entirely from the record. After that, no one mentioned it except in whispers passing the story down through the generations. Course, you know how rumors go. The only thing anyone agrees on is the Artemis Sr. killed them all. Not really much else to say on the matter after that anyway.”

All of the new information left Butler absolutely reeling. “He killed his family?”

With a nod, the woman confirmed the answer to his. “Yeah. And the poor boy was only twelve. Thirteen at the most. Nasty business all around but it was back in the 1800s so nothing to be done about the tragedy now. Anything else you want to know?”

“No one’s lived in the manor since then?”

“Not at all, like I said the town practically wiped it off the map. That’s why I don’t understand how you found it.”

“A friend was taking photographs of the countryside and when he called to get information on it the city with the deed said it was for sale but they didn’t really have any information on it. No one had mentioned it for years so they were going to bring in a construction company to take the place down and use it as a recycling spot. I bought it after that because it looked like it had historic value.”

“It’s historic alright. It makes sense since they wouldn’t know much about the place either. Big as it might be, that city wasn’t built till long after the family died. I hope you got all you need cause I’m afraid I don’t know much else about the place. I doubt anyone does.”

Butler thought back to the boy playing the piano and felt his stomach sink. “With this having happened so long ago you wouldn’t happen to know what the family looked like?”

The librarian flicked her eyes around looking suddenly nervous. “That’s not entirely true. Wait here.”

The librarian left only to quickly return from the restricted section with a newspaper in her hands. “I imagine this was overlooked in the attempt to get rid of everything. It’s got a family portrait in it for an accomplishment made by the younger Artemis. As Butler took the newspaper he found himself peering into grainy but familiar eyes of a young child dressed in a formal suit. There was no color but Butler could guess that the eyes he found himself looking at would be that same vibrant blue as the boy from his dream. “Are you quite alright sir? You look like you've seen a ghost.”

Butler dragged his gaze away and nodded. “I’m fine, all this talk of dead people is just unsettling my nerves.”

The librarian gave him a sympathetic smile. “I can’t think of many people who wouldn’t be upset by hearing such a tale. I think that’s enough about the dead for today and preferably ever again. You can keep the paper if you want, there’s no need for it here. If you’d like I’ll see you out, we’re closing up.”

“I’d appreciate the company.” 

Butler hesitated after pulling himself up from the table with the librarian. “You’re sure no one else has lived there?”

She answered while walking, “Quite sure. After all, we’re the closest thing to the old manor. Why do you ask?”

Butler quickly replied after all there was no need to bring potential ghosts into this, “It just seems like a long time to be empty, even if it’s been mostly forgotten.”

“Hmm, tragedies leave marks. Perhaps having someone new there could help erase the old memories forever. And this sir appears to be your stop.”

Butler waved her goodbye as he stepped out of the library and walked to his car. 


	3. Meeting The Owner

Butler made the drive back to what he now knew as Fowl manor not exactly sure as for what to tell Juliet. He didn’t want to concern her and he certainly didn’t want to bring up ghosts but the supernatural was really the only answer he had. The manor had never looked so foreboding as he pulled up and walked in. With an idea, Butler steeled himself and walked to the study. He made a quick check to ensure Juilet was not in her room, after all, if this didn’t work, and he felt it likely wouldn’t, then he did not want her around to witness it. Butler knocked on the study door. “I was told your name is Artemis, so Artemis, I was hoping I might come in and we could talk.”

There was no answer. Butler tried the knob and let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding when it did not budge. With a self-deprecating smile, Butler walked away. 

Dinner proved to be more eventful as in the middle of eating the lights flickered out just to return and reveal none other than Artemis Fowl Jr. sitting at the head of the table glaring disdainfully at them. Both Butler and Juliet startled out of their seats but Butler grabbed a knife as he got up. 

“Who are you?”

Juliet demanded his name leading to a scoff.

“Artemis Fowl as you very well know.”

“I obviously don’t for one or else I wouldn’t have asked,” Juliet paused before continuing, “Isn’t Artemis a girl’s name?”

Cold fury passed over Artemis’s face as the cabinets around them suddenly banged open. “I did not reveal myself to you for you to insult me. Male’s can be granted the name if they prove they have earned it and I have more than proved myself.”

He crossed his arms after finishing his statement. Apparently deciding to ignore what had just happened Juliet forged on with her questions, “Cool. How’d you get here kid?”

Artemis showed no reaction this time but the cabinets slammed themselves closed with a load crash. “I live here, unlike you trespassing individuals. I very clearly told you to leave the premises and yet you have remained here ruining my manor.”

“One, I haven’t seen you at all since moving in, two no one lives here Butler told me it’s been abandoned for ages so unless you’re a ghost there’s no way you live here.”

Artemis leveled her with a cold look. “This is my home, not yours- “Artemis motioned to Butler- “I told him on the first night to leave.”

“Oh yeah? Butler, did he tell you to leave, cause he never mentioned anything to me.”

Not showing his discomfort Butler looked at his sister. “He did say something along those lines but it was in a dream so I ignored it. Juliet…”

Butler heaved a sigh and pulled the newspaper out of his pocket. “This is Artemis Fowl Jr. he lived here over a century ago. His family was murdered here, by his father.”

The glass windows around them shattered sending pieces flying everywhere and cutting Butler and Juliet. Artemis' voice broke through the cacophony “You are lying, my father was a good man he would do no such thing to us!”

With that Artemis vanished with the only hint of his presence being broken glass and bloody cuts. “We move in and you couldn’t even tell me there was a ghost?” Juliet deadpanned with an unamused look cast in Butler’s direction.

“We haven’t moved in, it’s just a temporary break you know that. I didn’t know we had a ghost either; it was just a theory and I didn’t think it was right. Besides, I didn’t want to worry you.”

“Well, Mr. Theories mind telling me what all that was about then?”

As they cleaned up the mess Artemis had made of the kitchen Butler relayed the librarian's story. He held nothing back as he filled her in. He was grateful when nothing happened as he told her about Artemis Sr killing the others. Artemis rejoined them by phasing in after they moved to the living room. They were glad to have bandaged themselves up before they decided to keep talking. The cuts had only been minor but they still didn’t want to trail blood everywhere.

Artemis took them in from where he stood by a couch before lowering his eyes and speaking. “I apologize for hurting you, that was not my intention. It appears that things tend to happen when I am emotional. But you were misinformed about my father. He did not kill us. The town’s mayor did but to have a scandal like that would have ruined the town so they likely changed the story.”

They listened to him in silence acknowledging what he said. “I’m sorry you got murdered I guess. Is that why you’re sticking around here?”

Artemis lifted his head and sent her a haughty look. “The only reason I am-” Artemis did air quotes- “ “sticking around here” so to speak is to get you to leave. This is still my home and you are intruding.”

“Technically you aren’t living anywhere, you said it yourself you were killed. Also, Butler holds the deed to this place saying he owns it so..” Juilet trailed off with a shrug.

“That deed means nothing if it was essentially stolen from the family that held it originally. Fowl manor has been held by my family for centuries and I will not be the one that allows it to fall into the hands of a different family. Leave or I will make you.”

Butler interrupted their argument. “Artemis, “ he started gently, “If I wouldn’t have bought this land then it would be used as a recycling plant. If I give it up then that will be what happens.”

Artemis weighed his words and slowly nodded. “I see. Then I suppose you can keep the title but I must insist that you not live here. You are not Fowls.”

Juliet could not resist the chance to intercede, “Yeah and I wouldn’t want to be known as Foul either.”

“I have tried to be civil but you have made it rather apparent there is no chance of that then so be it.”

Artemis disappeared again before anyone could respond. “Did you have to antagonize him?”

“What, me?”

Juliet sent him an aghast look, “He obviously started it!”

Butler decided it was a battle not worth fighting. Feeling the exhaustion of the day coming on Butler excused himself to bed.

After Artemis' warning he had indeed started trying to make them move but his methods were more inconvenient than anything else. While the study door remained closed and locked, they had both heard music coming from within. Items had taken to being placed in incredibly odd locations that were difficult to find and even more difficult to remove the item from. Butler had found his car keys in the bottom of the coffee pot only after washing it. Searching for any missing item had become tedious considering the size of the manor. All of Juliet's speakers crackled horribly any time she played anything through them out loud. Though he had to admit he had not found that one objectionable. Annoying as it might be it was not particularly difficult to live with and in fact just cemented to Butler just how young Artemis was. He acted and dressed like a grown up but his tactics were more that of a child seeking attention and beyond the broken window there was never anything that could hurt. 

Juliet had taken to trying to speak to Artemis which Butler had believed to be useless until he came home from grocery shopping one day to find them having a conversation. She sat beside him on the couch asking about the history of all things, something she had never been interested in. He stood watching them for a moment before Artemis noticed him and stopped speaking which prompted Juliet to look at Butler and grin, “Hey Dom, Artemis was telling me about when his family were pirates and running the estate.”

Artemis nodded, “It was quite a time from what I was told.”

“And what brought up this subject.”

“We made a bargain that if I stopped trying to pick the lock on his study that he would tell me about his family. It’s been really interesting.”

“May I join you then?”

“Of course,” Artemis gestured to the chair across from them.

Butler sat and Artemis dived back into telling the story of how the late Fowl had bested the law luring them to fowl manor and picking them off with cannonballs as they tried to approach the looming building.

After that Artemis was much more present but not nearly as inclined to cause mischief. He told them riveting stories of his ancestor's past misdeeds. But began joining them in their everyday lives outside of that. He joined them at meals even though he was incapable of eating and would join Butler when he read at the end of the day. This had developed into Butler reading to Artemis since his incorporeal form was no longer able to pick up books. His time with Juliet was spent helping her explore the manor and its grounds. His inability to retain a solid form had not in fact hampered the biggest delight he had expressed still having even though he was dead. None of them had any explanation for it but it seemed Artemis was still fully capable of playing piano and over the months of living with them he played for them on several occasions. Butler had grown quite fond of young Artemis. Despite his prim demeanor, he had quickly become a firm part of their family. Which is why Butler had truly never meant to upset him to such a ghastly degree. But upset him they had and it all resulted in losing him.


	4. The Beginning Of The End

It had all happened due to a slight argument between Juliet and Butler. Juliet was supposed to stay with Butler until the end of the summer to recover from an injury she had sustained while in the rings but she felt beyond ready to get back to practicing even though she had three weeks left. Butler held a firm stance on her staying the rest of the time as the doctor had recommended. Artemis had been in the room but not involved himself in the argument believing them fully capable of settling things peacefully between themselves. When their conversation started shifting into an actual conflict Artemis tried to intervene but was promptly ignored. No one noticed that he was steadily becoming upset when their voices rose but everyone noticed when the windows once more shattered. 

Artemis yelled, “STOP!”

The couch flew across the room and into the wall. The grandfather clock used to decorate the room fell to the ground and the coffee table flipped over. With that, he disappeared leaving the room in chaos. “Why is it every time he does that we’re left to clean it up?”

They managed to return the room to its previous design quickly but there would be no fixing anything shattered until they had a professional do it. “Look Arty, it’s all clean, and no one’s yelling. You can come back now.”

They waited for him to reappear but he did not show. Juliet tried calling him again, “Artemis. Artemis where are you? We’re sorry about the fight.”

Nothing changed, nothing to even suggest he was there at all. With the concern of such a violent reaction fresh on their minds, they split up to go looking for him. Butler’s search brought him to the study. Knocking still resulted in no answer but when he grabbed the knob it turned. Butler walked in. There was still no sign of Artemis but all of the sheets had been thrown through the entirety of the room. Butler glanced around deciding to leave until his eye caught upon a book sitting on the desk. It looked to have blood splattered across the front. Butler picked it up before exiting the room. 

He met up with Juliet outside of his room. They had both been unsuccessful in finding Artemis but Butler showed her the book, which had proven to be Artemis’ diary when he glanced inside of it. With some reservation, they decided to read it and were quite appalled at the contents they found inside. Artemis's entries consisted of telling the story of a history full of crime lords that had lived on the dark side of history since they had begun and Artemis’s desire to be just like them and make his father proud. A task that seemed quite fruitless. Each attempt made by Artemis was met with malice by his father and soon the loathing Artemis felt his father held towards him turned violent. His mother was spoken of highly as a kind woman. Unlike his father she had no desire to live on the other side of the law and was attempting to convince Artemis Sr. of becoming law-abiding but she was incapable of convincing Artemis Sr. or protecting Artemis Jr. They both suffered from his wrath just for the final entry to detail a fight he was hearing between his parents that abruptly cut off. The last page had dried blood crinkling the page.

Butler and Juliet felt horror suffuse their bodies as they read Artemis’s diary. The reaction he had to their arguing and the regret he held for hurting them all made more sense. 

He had grown up in a house fused with cruelty and had somehow managed to maintain not only his humanity but his love for the very person who had hurt him.

Neither of them knew what to say as Artemis appeared in the room with them. “I apologize for how I reacted it was uncalled ...for. How did you get that? You should not have that!”

Artemis looked scared as he asked. “I went to the study looking for you so we could apologize for earlier, the study was unlocked.”

“So you just took whatever you wanted?! That is not yours!”

Juliet spoke softly, “You lied.”

“I what… What I did is not of import and I did not lie.”

“Yes, you did. You said your dad was a good man but from what I just read he was a monster.”

Artemis’ voice came out as the window started to rattle, “You have no right to say that, you never even knew him”

“He beat you! That’s not something a good person does!”

“He was trying to teach me a lesson and that was the best way to learn.”

“Did your mom hit you too?”

Artemis was taken aback by the mere suggestion, “She would never hit me!”

“Why not?”

“Because she was my mother!”

“He was your dad and he did it.”

“That was different. She was too weak to teach hard lessons properly.” 

Artemis looked beseechingly at her like it would make Juliet stop talking and accept his answer.

“Butler never hit me for anything, neither of my parents did either. You can’t just choose to be blind to the truth. He hit you and he shouldn’t have. It was wrong and he wasn’t a good person. So did your mom hit you?”

Artemis slumped like a puppet with cut strings. “No,” he said in a whisper, “She loved me.”

Juliet softened her voice, “Did your dad kill you?”

Artemis nodded before devolving into sobs and dropping to the ground with his face in his hands. His tears cut through Butler’s heart and they both went to him. When they tried to gather him in their arms it worked. His form was solid and allowed them to hold him. His tears gradually let off and as they did Juliet pointed out that he was corporeal. “I don’t think that will last,” he said, “I can feel myself slipping away.”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“I think I can finally move on. I think admitting it finally freed me to move on.”

And that did in fact appear to be the case. Artemis' body was fading back out with a soft golden glow encompassing it. Their arms passed through him once more as he stood up. He grinned, “Thank you, I’m glad I got to meet you,” Artemis started speaking again as if it was an afterthought, “I’m not sure if it means much but I appreciated being part of your family. It was nice to be part of a proper one.”

With that, he was fully gone with not a trace left behind. Juliet wiped the tears that had dripped from her eyes off of her face once Artemis had fully departed. 

They spent weeks waiting to see if Artemis would ever return but after two full months of waiting, they came to the consensus that he was truly gone. In his honor, they gave him a proper funeral as the townsfolk had neglected to do so in their rush to sweep the entire mess under the rug. After that Butler gave up the illusion that he did not plan on living there and Juliet stayed in the manor anytime she was not with her wrestling troupe. It felt right to keep the manor lively for Artemis since that was what he had so appreciated in his life after death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come join me on [ Tumblr ](https://artemis099.tumblr.com/)

**Author's Note:**

> I hope everyone enjoyed the story and please comments and kudos are always appreciated. Thank you for your time.


End file.
